Until We Meet Again
by Narwen Almiriel
Summary: The tale of Elrond and Celebrian, from beginning to end, because I don't think there are enough of them. Please read and review.
1. Prologue

_Hi everyone! It's me again. I have decided to be brave and embark on a slightly longer fic. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed 'A Letter From Ada'. Please bear with me on this fic, as I'm still learning, remember. But do tell me if there is anything that needs work._

Anyway, this story deals with the love story of Elrond and Celebrian, because I think they get left out too much. Hope you like it. Please review and tell me what you think.

_Disclaimer – Anything you recognise here belongs to JRR Tolkien._

Until We Meet Again Prologue 

Elrond watched with tears in his eyes, as the love of his life, his heart, his soul, his Cel boarded the ship that would take her away from him, that would take her to Valinor. Why did she have to leave? He knew he was being selfish, he knew that she would only find the healing that she needed in the west. But he could not stop that ache inside him. They had never been apart for more than a few months since they were wedded. And now... Now he did not know when he would see her again. He would sail west someday, yes, but he knew that day would not come for a long time yet, for his tasks here were not yet done. He had much to do still.

Beside him stood his children, watching tearfully as the ship set sail. What would they do without her? What would _he_ do without her? He wished to cling on to every moment, every instance he had spent with her. The day he first set eyes on her, the day they confessed their love to each other, their wedding day, the birth of their children. Everything. But he would also never forget the hollowness of her face, the tears in her eyes, and the sorrow in her voice as she said goodbye to him.

_"Elrond..." she said. "Elrond, I am sorry. Sorry for everything. Please forgive me." Elrond took her hand in his own before he spoke, trying hard to keep his tears inside. "Why do you day that, Cel?" he said. "There is nothing to forgive. Indeed, it is my fault. I have failed. I broke my promise to your parents, to myself."_

"_No, Elrond, you did not fail. It was not your fault. Do not blame yourself. Promise me that you will be strong, Elrond. For our children. For me."_

_As he looked away to hide his grief, Celebrian cupped her hands around his face and turned it to look at her. "This is not the end, Elrond," she said. "Always remember that. We will meet again. And then nothing will ever part us. Nothing."_

_Elrond could not stop his tears any longer. She wiped them away gently and kissed him softly. "I love you, Elrond. And nothing, no one, can ever change that. You know that as well as I do. So do not despair. And you will never be alone. Because I will always be there in your heart."_

_Leaving Elrond with her words she went over to say to goodbye to her children. She then came back to him one last time, to say her final farewell. "You are the best husband anyone could ask for. And a brilliant father. I know you will look after them well, Elrond. I am sorry I cannot be there to watch them grow. I know that they grieve. But Elrond, don't let them become consumed by their grief. Promise me."_

_Elrond nodded slowly, not being able to say much due to his sorrow. "Promise me you will never let them feel the absence of their mother. They are so young, Elrond. Especially Arwen. Promise me you will keep her happy, whatever the cost."_

_"I will," Elrond said softly. "I promise I will." They embraced each other one last time, tears flowing freely on both their faces. "I love you, Cel," Elrond whispered. _

"_And I you, Peredhil," she replied. They pulled apart slowly, and aided by her handmaidens, she started walking towards the ship. Before climbing aboard she looked back at him for a last time. "Until we meet again, Elrond," she said softly. "Namarië."_

Elrond watched as the ship finally disappeared from sight. _Yes,_ he thought. _Until we meet again. Namarië, meleth nin._

----------------tbc------------------

Translations 

Peredhil – Half-elven

Namarië - Farewell

Namarië, meleth nin – Farewell, my love

_**P.S**. You will come across the characters calling Elrond 'Peredhil' (Half-elven). This is meant to be an affectionate term (like how Arwen gets called Undomiel), because I didn't want people calling him 'Elrond' all the time. So I think I will let people close to him calling him Peredhil sometimes._

_Bye for now._

_- Narwen Almiriel_


	2. Tithen Pen

_Hello again! This then is the first chapter of this story, and it goes back to when Elrond and Celebrian first met. Hope you like it. Please review and tell me what you think._

_Disclaimer – Anything you recognise here belongs to JRR Tolkien._

**Author's note** - According to 'Histories of Middle Earth', Elrond wedded Celebrian in Third Age 109. So the first part of the story takes place a couple of years before then. (I won't give a fixed year because I'm still not sure how long it will be between their first meeting and their wedding.)

_**Chapter One – "They're here!"**_

"Naneth!" she shouted. "They are here!"

The lady of the golden wood, Galadriel, looked up from her mirror in slight amusement as she heard her daughter run down the steps to the shallow pool by which she stood.

"I already know, _tithen pen_," the lady said, gesturing to her mirror.

"Oh," the girl replied, slightly disappointed that she had run all this way for nothing. Once she got her breath back, she spoke again, reproachfully, this time. "Naneth, I do wish you won't call me 'tithen pen' in front of our guests. I'm too old for it now."

"No matter how much you grow up, Celebrian," Galadriel replied, "You'll always be my tithen pen. And now run along, and go tell your Adar that the party from Imladris and Eriador has arrived. Oh and Cel?" she interjected as her daughter turned to leave. "Do try to behave."

Galadriel smiled at the disdainful look her daughter gave her before running back up the stairs. She turned once again to her mirror, and concentrated, for she was feeling slightly uneasy, and she knew it was something concerning Celebrian. She lost herself in the images, for a while. When she finally looked away, her heart was at peace. _So_, she mused to herself. _Her little Cel would have a lot of growing up to do before the end of this visit._

----------------tbc------------------

_Translations_

Naneth – Mother

Tithen pen – Little one

Adar – Father

Sorry this was so short! I just felt that this bit was fine on its own. The next chapter will be longer.

So. Thank you so much, **Malara**, for that review! I'm so glad you liked the prologue (really, it should be an epilogue or something cos it takes place after the main events of the story, but oh well. I don't like ending a story on a sad note.) I hope you'll like Elrond a bit more by the end of this story. Quite a few people aren't that fond of Elrond, actually. But it's not his fault, really. He's just a bit misunderstood. ; )

And yes, everything bad does happen to Elrond, doesn't it? He has a traumatic childhood, his twin dies, his wife gets attacked by orcs, his daughter dies... I feel so sorry for him. But his parents did not die. They were given a place in Valinor, and his dad (Earendil), with his Silmaril, got made a star. So really, Elrond gets to see him every evening. At least that's one bright star on his horizon (sorry, I couldn't resist!) ; )

Bye for now!

_- Narwen Almiriel_


	3. Elrond Peredhil

**Until We Meet Again**

_Disclaimer – Anything you recognise here belongs to JRR Tolkien._

Chapter Two – Elrond 

Elrond Peredhil, Lord of Imladris, made his way up the steps to the talan. Beside him, Glorfindel, the legendary balrog-slayer, of whom songs were sung and lays were written, was chortling heartily at one of his own jokes, while Elrond's chief advisor, Erestor, looked on in stern disapproval. Sometimes, Elrond felt that Glorfindel really was quite mad, and was forced to wonder if all that balrog slaying and heroism had merely been a fluke, or else if that balrog hadn't simply killed itself out of sheer despair at having to listen to one of Glorfindel's jokes.

Elrond was brought rather abruptly out of his thoughts by Glorfindel's hand slapping him rather hard (so it seemed to him) on the back, which caused him to stumble forwards onto the stairs. "Are you all right, Peredhil?" the balrog slayer anxiously asked.

"I'm fine, Glorfindel, honestly." Elrond knew that Glorfindel meant no harm, but was it really necessary to thump him on the back like that so often? Elrond was an excellent warrier himself, but not many could stand the might of the balrog-slayer.

Finally, after what seemed like ages to Elrond, they reached the talan. There were three elves standing there – two females and a male. He recognised the male as Lord Celeborn, and the taller female was of course Galadriel, the Lady of Light. Elrond had met both of them before, but never in Lothlórien. This was his first time here, and he looked forward to getting to know both the lord and lady well. They had met before a few times, in times of war. He knew the both of them, as excellent leaders and strategists, and both were very wise. Especially the Lady. And she was very beautiful; her beauty and radiance never failed to put him in awe of her.

He always felt so – so _flawed_ when he looked at her, even though he was supposed to be a formidable elf lord himself. He was considered wise and brave, and had seen and done much, in his (relatively) short years. He was the lord of Imladris, brought up by Erienion Gil-galad himself, and had been his herald and heir. _Gil-galad..._ _No_. He could not bring himself to think of Gil-galad now. Not yet, while the pain of his passing was still fresh.

He forced himself back into the present, and continued to look at the Lady. She seemed to radiate with power, and magnificence. He had heard before that her hair was so fair that it seemed that the light of Laurelin itself, one of the Two Trees of Valinor, had been captured in her golden tresses. Some even said that Feanor had been inspired to create the Silmarili by capturing the light of the Trees when he set eyes on her tresses. When he was little, Elrond had believed these tales to be nothing more than legend, told to him by Maglor and Maedhros as bedtime stories, but now every time he actually saw Galadriel, Elrond felt that maybe the stories were true, even though he had never set eyes on the Two Trees himself.

Elrond made himself look away from her when he realised he was staring. His gaze now moved to Celeborn, standing next to the Lady. His hair was as silver as Galadriel's was gold. And while Galadriel seemed so distant, as if she was one of the stars – beautiful, but far away, Celeborn seemed like the earth – calm, serene, and so patient. They were like night and day, totally different, but each was incomplete without the other. Elrond always hoped that someday he would find someone who was so made for him; just like these two were made for each other. Someone who would cure the weariness in his soul, the hurts he carried. _Someday..._

Elrond brought himself out of his musings, and finally his gaze moved on to look at the elleth standing a little apart from the Lord and Lady. He had never seen her before. She looked quite shy. She seemed much younger than them, even much younger than him. She was very fair, and the resemblance her face bore to both Galadriel and Celeborn's made him realise that she must be their daughter.

Just as he was looking at her, she looked up and met his gaze. His heart told him that in that instant somehow his life had changed forever. As he looked into her eyes, he realised that there was something ... different about her, something special. He could not understand what. It was as if... as if she was meant to be standing there, as if he was meant to meet her. As he looked her, he felt calm, at peace, a feeling unknown to him since... since Elros was lost to the world. Elros was gone, but he had taken with him a part of his twin's soul. His sorrows were only intensified by the wars he saw, the grief, the passing of those who were dear to him. But when he looked at this elleth, he saw the innocence of a childhood that he had not had. A childhood untouched by war, by sorrow. When he looked at her, he felt whole again.

------------tbc--------------

**Translations **

Peredhil – Half-elven

**Note **- Maglor and Maedhros were the oldest of the sons of Feanor. When the sons of Feanor attacked the place were Elwing was staying with her sons, Elwing jumped into the sea to protect the Silmaril. Maedhros and Maglor were slightly regretful of what they had done, and took in the twins Elrond and Elros, and looked after them for a while. Later on, they were fostered by Gil-galad, till they made their choice. Elros obviously became knig of Numenor, while Elrond stayed with Gil-galad and later on became his herald and heir (since Gil-galad had no children).

_Hope you liked this chapter. To **Malara** – Thanks for reviewing! You say loads of nice things! (hands out yummy chocolate cookies to Malara) Your reviews really mean loads to me. Sorry for the delay in posting chapters, but I really was quite stuck (and caught up in homework as well). But now that this chapter is here, do tell me what you think. I really look forward to your reviews, you know. They make me feel all happy. :) That's all for now. Until the next chapter!_

_- Narwen Almiriel_


	4. Celebrian

_Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait. Hope you like this chapter._

Disclaimer - Nothing you recognise belongs to me.

**Until We Meet Again**

Chapter Three – Celebrian

Celebrian fidgeted nervously next to her parents as their guests made their way up the talan, to meet the Lord and Lady of the wood. It was a few centuries since she had come of age, but had yet to learn the effortless grace and poise with which her mother moved, or spoke, or indeed, did anything. Many were the occasions on which she had embarrassed herself (and her parents) by uttering a tactless comment, or being too clumsy. But, as her parents said (or rather, hoped), she would soon grow out of it.

As for now, she was content to finally get a chance to properly meet elves that were not of her homeland. Her parents were so protective of her. They had ensured that she was not touched by any shadow of the wars taking place. She had never been outside the borders of Lothlórien. Until now, war had assailed Middle-Earth. But now was a time of peace. The Third Age had begun.

The elves from Imladris had come, not to discuss war, but to discuss peace. She had never met the lord of Imladris before. She had heard of him, of course. Her parents often talked of him. And everyone knew the tale of the children of Ëarendil. She wondered how much it had grieved him to be parted from his brother, knowing they would never meet again.

Up till now, it had always been Gil-galad who sent messages or messengers. But he had fallen... Celebrian forced herself to put aside such thoughts. After all, the Dark Lord had fallen. The shadow had passed. What could possibly go wrong now?

Celebrian was brought out of her thoughts by the arrival of the guests upon the talan. They were escorted by Haldir, the marchwarden. She looked on as a golden-haired elf, taller than all the others, walked in front. She had seen him before once, when she was very little. Of course! This was Glorfindel, the legendary balrog-slayer. To be honest, she had been quite frightened of him before, not because he was intimidating (even though he was, slightly), but because he gave the impression that he was a bit mad. Or maybe that had just been her imagination.

She moved on to look at a dark-haired elf standing just behind Glorfindel. He was unknown to her. He was incredibly fair, and judging by his ears, which were slightly less pointed than they should be, she guessed that this was Elrond, Lord of Imladris.

Celebrian was very good at reading people and sensing their feelings, something she had inherited from her mother. There were a few very faint scars still to be seen on his face and neck, remnants of battle, but she could sense that he was slightly weary. He had not yet overcome his sorrow, his troubles. _His body has healed, but his mind has not._

Caught in her own musings, she did not notice that he was now looking at her, until she finally looked up and found herself looking into his eyes. His eyes... Celebrian felt something flutter inside her. She found herself unable to turn her gaze away. The two of them simply stood there, looking at each other.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Galadriel watched them, so captivated by each other. She heard herself sigh. It looked like she wouldn't be protecting her little girl for much longer. _I was right_, she thought. _This will be an eventful visit._

And so it began.

---------------tbc----------------

Notes 

It never actually says anywhere that Elrond's ears were less pointed than usual, but again, it doesn't say that they weren't. I assumed that, because he had some mortal blood in him, his ears would be slightly rounded.

Again, Celebrían's age is not given anywhere. I felt she would be quite a bit younger than Elrond. I wanted her to be quite innocent and untouched by war and grief, which you will see is one of the things that draw Elrond to her. So in this fic I would say she is about six centuries old. As for 'coming of age', it says in 'Morgoth's Ring' (Part 10 of Histories of Middle Earth) that elves came of age i.e. became fully developed in mind and body at the age of fifty. It says that elflings grew in the same way as mortal children till the age of about three, but then their physical growth slowed down. Mentally, they developed at about the same rate as mortal children, if not quicker. Logically speaking, this would mean that their minds were developed well before the age of fifty, so I'm presuming that probably their mental growth also slowed down after a while. In Celebrían's case, even though she is well over fifty, she is still not quite an adult (at least that's what I think). When you think about it, she is the only child of Galadriel and Celeborn, both powerful elves in their own right; of course they would pamper her and ensure that no harm came to their precious daughter. Especially Celeborn, cos you know that most dads have this thing about their daughters. In my view it is her falling in love with Elrond that propels her full force towards maturity (hee hee I'm starting to sound like my English teacher!). But that's only my opinion. I hope you don't mind if it doesn't agree with yours.

According to the Appendices, Unfinished Tales, and a couple of other sources, Elrond first met Celebrian in Rivendell. After the war, Celeborn went back to Imladris with Elrond, rather than going to his wife, and so after a few years Galadriel and her daughter came to Imladris to meet him and take him back with them. So really this strays from canon slightly, but I couldn't help it. I wanted Elrond to first meet Celebrian on unfamiliar ground, and I wanted Celebrian to never have left her home. So in this fic, Galadriel got Celeborn back slightly sooner, and she went to get him alone. Sorry if you feel I should have stuck to the original events. : ( Anyway, I have rambled on for long enough now. I should probably stop before you fall asleep.

But very quickly, before I go, thanks a bunch to Malara and Vicki Turner for reviewing. I really appreciate it. And Malara, thank you for all those wonderful things! You made my day. Tell me what you thought of this chapter, and whether it lived up to your expectations. Until the next post, bye!

- _Narwen Almiriel_


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